


Beam Us Up

by redlipstickblackdress



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alcohol, Attempted Sexual Assault, F/M, Fluff, Hostage Situations, Humor, Mild Sexual Content, Romance, Sassy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-25
Updated: 2013-08-25
Packaged: 2017-12-24 15:38:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 10,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/941652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redlipstickblackdress/pseuds/redlipstickblackdress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new nurse and a new engineer join the crew of the Enterprise.  The dilithium crystals in the ship need to be replaced, so Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, as well as the two new crewmembers, beam down to a dilithium mining colony on Rigel XII.   Trapped on the planet, Kirk and the female engineer struggle with feelings for each other while McCoy and the nurse find a dwelling and get cozy. The ship's power must be saved, so no one can be beamed up until they have crystals.  It's up to Spock to save everyone - or is it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Nurse

**Author's Note:**

> Rigel XII is a planet shown in the original series. Some of the aspects of it are canon, and some are invented by me. :)

Doctor McCoy finished cleaning up the sickbay and getting everything organized for the new nurse that was joining the Enterprise crew. He hoped she was competent – it would be annoying to have to train someone inexperienced. A moment later, a young woman with brown shoulder-length hair entered wearing a short blue long-sleeve dress with the nursing insignia over her heart. She saw the doctor with his back turned, speaking to get his attention. 

“Doctor Leonard McCoy? I’m Elysse Wellington, the new nurse.” 

“I know who you are,” he replied gruffly, turning around. When he saw her, his face changed for a moment – she was beautiful. “Hello,” he amended, in a rather different voice. She gave him a surprised look for a moment before responding. 

“I have to admit, Doctor, I was hoping for a more friendly welcome,” McCoy raised an eyebrow for a moment, not expecting her to question his greeting, but didn’t say anything more regarding the matter. 

“Are you ready for your examination?” he asked. Every new crewmember was required to have a medical examination. 

“Yes, Doctor,” she said. He got her to sit down and began the examination, holding devices up to her face and usually raising an eyebrow at the result. When he finished, he told her that she checked out. 

He showed her around the sickbay, a bit churlishly for her taste. However, she listened to everything he told her and nodded obediently. She didn’t want to provoke hostility on her first day aboard the Enterprise. 

He was trying to explain to her how to read the screen panels above the patient beds when two officers in red uniforms came in, dragging an Asian man with a yellow uniform into the sickbay. The man was raving like a lunatic, saying something about wishing he could cuddle up with a nice girl. 

“Sulu!” McCoy said, an eyebrow raised. “What happened?” 

“He had some wine in his quarters – he said he got it from the girl he met at our last stop.”

“Hi, you’re pretty,” Sulu said with a smile, wrapping his arms around Elysse and hugging her into his chest. 

“Um…” she said, trying to pull away from him. 

“Get him on the bed,” McCoy said sullenly, and the two security officers pulled him off of Elysse and dragged him to the bed and held him down. McCoy stuck a needle into Sulu’s arm, and the latter instantly stilled. The officers loosened their hold on him and Sulu sat up, looking around. 

“What happened? Am I sick?” he asked. 

“You’re fine, Sulu, but if I were you, I’d get rid of that wine you got from the last planet,” McCoy told him with a raised eyebrow. Sulu gave him a bit of a confused look, but got up off the bed without saying anything. When he saw Elysse, a smile formed on his face. 

“Hello, I’m Lieutenant Sulu,” he said. She blushed at the admiring look – apparently his thinking she was pretty wasn’t just the wine talking. 

“Lieutenant, aren’t you needed on the bridge?” McCoy suggested pointedly. Sulu glanced at him and gave Elysse one last smile before walking out of the sickbay.


	2. The New Engineer

Tessa Kelley stepped onto the bridge of the Enterprise in her short red uniform to report to the captain. She stepped up to the man she assumed to be the captain, a man with light brown hair and a golden-yellow uniform. When he saw her, a large smile spread on his face as his eyes ran down her body and then back up, the smile reaching its brightest when it got back to her face. 

“Hello. Captain James Kirk.” 

“Captain. I’m Tessa Kelley.” 

“Yes, the new engineer. Welcome aboard. I’ll show you to the sickbay for an examination and then I’ll have someone take you to engineering.” He was very professional while saying all this, but the smile never left his face. 

“Yes, Captain,” she said, and his eyes didn’t leave her as they entered the turbolift.

“I look forward to working with you, Lieutenant,” he told her. 

“Thank you, Captain, I am happy to be here.” 

“You must be the best if you were assigned to my ship,” he said. “I have complete faith in your abilities.”

“Thank you, Captain. I will do my best.” The turbolift reached the required deck and the two entered the sickbay. 

“Tessa?” 

“Elysse!” The two young women hugged – although they had chosen different areas of study and training, they had been friends at Starfleet Academy. Captain Kirk smiled to see the excitement of the two girls at being assigned to the same ship. 

“Can the reunion wait? I’m a busy man,” McCoy grouched. 

“Bones, I need you to examine Lieutenant Kelley and then show her to engineering and introduce her to Mr. Scott.” 

“Dammit, Jim, I’m a doctor, not a tour guide.”

“That’s an order, Doctor.” McCoy looked less-than-thrilled and was going to protest, but decided against it. 

“Yes, Captain.” 

Doctor McCoy examined Tessa and found her in good health. 

“Nurse Wellington, do you think you can mind the sickbay for a few minutes?” he asked Elysse, as if he had absolutely no faith in her ability to do so.

“Yes, Doctor, I think I can handle it,” she said a bit sarcastically, causing his eyebrow to reach epic heights. With an acerbic look, McCoy left Elysse in the sickbay escorted Tessa into the turbolift to take her to engineering.


	3. The Purring Engine

Scotty saw Doctor McCoy enter with a young woman and did a double-take. The woman was incredibly attractive, with curly red hair falling around her shoulders against the bright red of her uniform. He felt a smile form on his face as they walked over, her excited demeanor contrasting against McCoy’s obvious annoyance. 

“I’ve got your new engineer,” McCoy said cantankerously. 

“Pleased to meet cha,” the chief engineer said in a thick Scottish brogue. “Montgomery Scott at yer service.” 

“Tessa Kelley,” she introduced herself. McCoy excused himself and went back to the sickbay. Scotty smiled at his new engineer and began to show her around. A few minutes later, the captain’s voice spoke through a panel on a piece of machinery.

“Mr. Scott, how’s the engine?” Scotty pressed a button on the panel to answer.

“She’s purrin’ like a kitten, Captain.” 

“Good.” Captain Kirk was ready to direct the crew to fly them out. They were ready to find another planet to explore.


	4. The Sassy Nurse

Doctor McCoy had returned to the sickbay and was cleaning his instruments without saying a word to Elysse. She wasn’t really sure if she should be doing something helpful – she hadn’t had much to do all week. She stood next to him and watched him work, seeing how he did everything in case she needed to do that task at some point. 

“Nurse Wellington, don’t you have something to do?” 

“I don’t know, Doctor. You didn’t give me anything to do.” 

“Must I tell you everything?” he snapped.

“I’m a nurse, Doctor. Not a mind-reader.” At this, he looked up from his work to raise an eyebrow at her. She was right - not only could she not have known what tasks needed to be done, but that she had used his own wording to prove her point. He wouldn’t admit it, but he kind of liked the spunk. 

“You may go settle into your quarters. I’ll call you if I need you,” he said kindly, the nicest he’d been to her all day. 

“Thank you, Doctor.” She entered the turbolift to visit the bridge, where she could ask the captain how to get to her quarters.


	5. The Dilithium Crystals

The two new Enterprise crewmembers had been on the ship for a week. Scotty was having Tessa check the engine components while he watched to make sure she knew what she was doing. She was a talented engineer, so he didn’t have anything to worry about. 

“Be gentle with ‘er. She needs a loving touch,” he insisted.

“Of course,” Tessa agreed. She went about doing her check while Scotty chatted happily beside her. 

“…so I packed up and left Aberdeen and joined Starfleet. I’ve never wanted to be anything else but an engineer…” 

“Something’s wrong,” Tessa interrupted him. “Something’s wrong with the dilithium crystals. They need to be replaced.” Scotty stopped talking and looked concerned. He pressed a button to reach the bridge. 

“Bridge, Captain speaking,” Kirk’s voice came through.

“Captain, there’s a problem with the dilithium crystals.” 

“I’ll be right there,” Kirk promised. A moment later, Kirk arrived in engineering and was immediately distracted by Tessa bent over to examine the crystals. He tilted his head slightly to get a better view of her backside. A smile spread over his face. 

“Captain?” Scotty prompted, noticing the captain’s line of vision with amusement. 

“Yes, Mr. Scott?” he asked, not taking his eyes off of Tessa. Suddenly he realized what he was doing and his head snapped up. “Yes, Mr. Scott. What is it?” 

“We need more dilithium crystals or she’s gonna lose power.” 

“Do we have time to reach Rigel XII?” 

“I think so, Captain.” 

“Good.” Kirk communicated to the bridge. “Captain to bridge. Mr. Sulu, direct route to Rigel XII.” 

“Aye, sir,” Sulu’s voice agreed.


	6. The Transporter Room

They landed on Rigel XII, a lithium mining colony. Scotty brought Tessa to the transporter room where Captain Kirk was to meet them – he figured he’d show her how to use the transporter. He arrived with his first officer, a Vulcan named Spock. A moment later, Doctor McCoy also entered. 

“Mr. Scott, perhaps you’d better beam down with us.” 

“If it’s all the same, Captain, I’d rather stay with the ship. If you want someone who knows dilithium crystals, Miss Kelley could go with you.” 

Captain Kirk looked like he didn’t actually object to this plan, and Tessa joined the group near the transporter. 

“Bones, since the conditions on Rigel XII are questionable for human life, perhaps it would be wise to have more than one medical professional in the landing party in case something happens to one of you. Could you call Nurse Wellington?” 

“Do you really think we need her, Jim?” McCoy grouched. He hated it when they questioned his professional capacity.

“The Captain’s request is perfectly logical, Doctor,” Spock informed him pragmatically. McCoy scowled at Spock, but realized he was outnumbered and outranked, so he went to the communication panel on the wall and dialed the sickbay. 

“Nurse, you’re needed in the transporter room.” 

“Yes, Doctor,” Elysse said, and was in the room a few minutes later. Captain Kirk quickly informed the rest of the crew that if they needed medical staff at any time, they were to inform him through his communicator, since the physician and one of his best nurses were going to be on Rigel XII. 

The group stepped on the transporter and Scotty beamed them down.


	7. The Rigellian Fern

“Stick close by and don’t go wandering off in case I need you,” McCoy told Elysse. 

“Yes, Doctor,” she said, a hint of sass behind the obedient words. He gave her a look. They set out wandering around the mining planet, Elysse walking behind McCoy as he explored. They were immediately hit in the face with a gust full of dirt – Rigel XII was known for having intense sandstorms. McCoy got the brunt of it since his body was blocking some of the sand from Elysse’s face. 

They started coughing and ran into the nearest cave to escape the storm. There was no one else inside, so they felt it was okay to stick around in there. 

“Looks like we’re stuck here for a while, we’ll have to wait it out,” McCoy said, clearly frustrated. 

“McCoy, can you hear me? Where are you?” Kirk’s voice came through the doctor’s communicator. 

“Nurse Wellington and I are in a cave, Jim, we had to get out of the storm.” 

“Alright, hang tight, I’ll call you if you’re needed. Kirk out.” 

McCoy and Elysse sat on the ground against the wall of the cave, knowing they’d probably be there a while. They were silent for a few minutes. 

“Bad mood?” Elysse finally asked.

“What gave you that idea?” he snapped.

“Oh, I don’t know, the constant churlish tone, the perpetual furrowed brow, the tensed shoulders.” 

“It’s none of your business, Nurse Wellington, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pry into my personal affairs.” 

Elysse didn’t know what to say to that, so she stood up, walked deeper into the cave, and sat down in a shadow where her presence would bother him less. She thought that they might survive being stuck in that cave together if he could handle the sound of her breathing in the dark. She wished she knew what the guy’s problem was. After a few minutes of incredibly awkward silence, she heard McCoy sigh apologetically. 

“Look, I’m sorry. I haven’t been the same since my divorce.” She didn’t answer, still not sure if it was okay for her to say something. After a moment, he continued. “My damn ex-wife left me with nothing.” 

“I’m sorry,” she finally said sympathetically. He didn’t respond, right away. Elysse saw something in the dark – a dry, twisted plant. “There’s some kind of plant over here,” she said, plucking the small stalk out of the dry ground. She stood up and stepped out of the shadow, walking toward the doctor again, holding the plant. She sat down next to him. “Doctor McCoy, do you find me attractive?” 

“Yes,” he replied without thinking. Then he realized what had just happened and his head turned to her abruptly. “What?” 

“I love you,” she said, putting her free hand behind his head and pressing her lips to his. He briefly kissed her back instinctively, putting his hand on her upper arm, but after a moment realized what was happening and pushed her away. 

“What has gotten into you, Nurse? Dammit, we’ve only known each other a week,” he reminded her. He took the plant from her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and started peppering his face with kisses. He grabbed his communicator. 

“McCoy to Spock.” 

“Yes, Doctor?” Spock’s calm voice came through. 

“Spock, there’s a plant here, dry—would you stop that, Nurse?—dry, yellow-brown in color, a stalk up the middle with thin leaves branching out from the sides. Can you identify it?” Elysse was still kissing across his cheek.

“That would be a Rigellian fern, native to the Rigel system of planets. It is a strong aphrodisiac if touched. The effect can last anywhere between one to three hours.” While Spock was speaking the fern had taken effect on McCoy, and he suddenly looked at Elysse. 

“Good God, you’re beautiful,” he told her, his mouth coming down on hers as he tossed away his communicator. 

“Doctor McCoy?” Spock’s voice was still coming through the communicator. “Doctor, are you there?” Spock was ignored while the doctor and nurse kissed fervently under the powerful effect of the fern, his arms coming around her waist to pull her closer as her hands ran up and down his shoulders and neck.


	8. The Rigellian Miner

Captain Kirk and Tessa had entered a lithium mine to negotiate with the miners for some dilithium crystals, not to mention to get out of the sandstorm. They didn’t know where Spock had ended up, although McCoy had informed them where he and the nurse had sought shelter. They approached some miners and one of the larger, more intimidating miners gave Tessa a shamelessly lecherous look. 

“Jim Kirk, commanding the Starship Enterprise. We are in need of dilithium crystals to repair our ship. We are prepared to offer you a reasonable price.” The intimidating miner laughed. 

“We have no use for money,” he boomed. “A beautiful woman, however…” his eyes ran over Tessa’s body. Kirk stepped protectively in front of her and she held onto his shoulder. 

“I will not offer you my engineer. Surely we can come to some other arrangement.” 

“I will not take less. It is the woman or no dilithium crystals for you. I have needs greater than wealth,” he insisted. Tessa gave him a disgusted look. 

“Why you—” she started through gritted teeth. Kirk, having had enough of this disrespectful talk regarding his crew member, stepped forward and punched the miner straight in the jaw. 

The guy punched him back, his bottom lip splitting open and causing a trickle of blood down his chin. This set off a fist fight, both men trading punches while Tessa pressed herself against the wall of the mine until two other miners held Kirk back. 

“Lock them up,” the man directed, and two other miners stood on either side of Tessa, grabbing her arms roughly. The four miners dragged the struggling Kirk and Tessa out into the sandstorm, stopped in front of a small dwelling, and threw them in, locking the one door. Inside was a wooden table with two matching chairs, a small stove, and a bed. 

“I’m sorry about all this, Lieutenant,” Kirk apologized. 

“It’s okay. Thank you for defending me. And if you want, you can call me Tessa. I mean, if it’s not inappropriate.” Kirk smiled. 

“You can call me Jim if you’d like. It looks like we’ll be here a while. I’d better call the others. Kirk to Spock,” he finished into his communicator.

“This is Spock.” 

“Lieutenant Kelley and I have been imprisoned. I’d like you to try to negotiate with the miners for some dilithium. In the meantime, we’ll try to escape. Don’t bother coming to rescue us until you’ve made a deal with them.” 

“Yes, Captain.” 

“Kirk to McCoy.” There was no answer. “Bones, can you hear me?” Still nothing. “McCoy, are you alright?” 

“Yeah, Jim,” McCoy’s voice finally answered, sounding way happier than usual. In the background, Kirk could hear a woman giggling in the background that sounded suspiciously like Nurse Elysse Wellington. 

McCoy had stopped kissing Elysse long enough to grab his communicator and answer Kirk. The nurse made up for the lack of his lips by starting to kiss up and down the doctor’s neck, which he found incredibly distracting while he was trying to talk to Jim. 

“Bones, are you and Nurse Wellington alright?” 

“Just fine, Jim, just fine.” 

“Uh…okay. Lieutenant Kelley and I have been captured and Spock is negotiating with the Rigellian miners for some dilithium crystals. It looks like the storm is getting worse, so you and Nurse Wellington should just stay inside until it dies down.” 

“Yeah—dammit, woman, I’m trying to talk to the captain—we’ll do that, Jim.” 

“Kirk out.” 

With this, McCoy tossed the communicator aside again, and whispered, “Elysse” before wrapping his arms back around her waist, feeling the blue fabric of her uniform, and capturing her lips again with his.


	9. The Captives' Prison

Kirk jiggled the door to their small dwelling but it wouldn’t budge. He tried picking the lock with a pin that Tessa had on her dress, he tried forcing his shoulder against the door, but nothing would shake the door. 

“James, stop, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Tessa said as he once more threw his shoulder into the door. 

“Everyone calls me Jim,” he said, sitting down in a wooden chair and resting. 

“I don’t,” she said with a sassy gleam in her eyes. He smiled at her. She grabbed a rag near the stove and wished she had some water. “I guess we should try to get you cleaned up,” she said, putting a hand under his chin and tilting his head up to dab at the blood on his lip from where he’d been punched. “I wonder how long we’ll be stuck here,” she said, glancing out a dirty window that didn’t open – they’d already tried it. The magnetic storm was still going on, getting worse in fact, and it was starting to get dark out. They’d probably be there at least overnight. 

“I’m hoping not long,” he told her. “It’s getting dark, maybe we should try to get some rest.” 

Tessa nodded and they both made their way to the bed and laid down on it, Kirk maintaining a respectful distance from her as they both fell asleep.


	10. The Cold Cave

The effect of the fern wore off on Elysse first. Her eyelids fluttered open as she suddenly realized she and the doctor were kissing, and quite passionately at that. She had no idea how this had happened, and it wasn’t unpleasant, but she felt it was probably a good idea to stop. She put her hands on her chest and pushed him away. 

“Why were we kissing?” she asked, incredibly confused. McCoy was still under the influence of the plant. 

“I love you,” he said, grabbing her face and pressing his lips to hers again. She kissed him back at first – he was a fantastic kisser – but then it dawned on her what he had just said and she pushed him away and stood up. 

“You what?” she asked, surprised. He stood up and wrapped his arms tightly around her, leaning in to kiss her again and placing kisses on her face and neck when she turned her head away. 

“Doctor, control yourself,” she insisted, pushing him away. 

“You were kissing me back before,” he said, looking confused and almost a bit hurt. 

“It’s that plant, I think it did something to us,” she said, pointing to it. He started to reach down to it. “Don’t touch it!” She turned to look around the cave and McCoy came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the side of her neck. It wasn’t unwelcome, necessarily, but she didn’t think it was a great idea to allow it. She started to try getting out of his grasp, but she couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling for a moment. Why did she have to show him that stupid plant? However, a moment later the effect wore off of him too and he suddenly stopped, pushed her away and stepped back. 

“I’m sorry, Nurse,” he said, acting a bit horrified at himself. “I don’t know what got into me.” 

“It’s okay. I think something happened to us when we touched that plant.” 

“How long was this going on?” he demanded.

“I don’t know – I was under the effect too.” 

“I think it’s best if we keep this incident between us,” McCoy said, a bit moodily. He stuck his head outside the cave and then came back. “It’s getting dark and the storm hasn’t let up. We’ll probably be stuck here all night,” he fumed. “I was hoping to go out and find some food,” he grumbled.

“Hopefully we can find some in the morning,” she said, rubbing her arms when a shiver went through her body. She was starting to get cold. “Do we have anything to light a fire?” 

“No, and even if we did, I don’t know what burning that fern would do,” McCoy pointed out. “We’ll just have to rely on body heat to get us through the night,” he said as if this intensely annoyed him. He sat down against the wall again and opened his arms, and Elysse sat next to him and leaned into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, both of them relying on each other’s warmth. They sat awkwardly and silently like that until they both fell asleep.


	11. The Captain's Embrace

Tessa opened her eyes to find that her face was only a few inches away from that of Captain Kirk. She was pressed against him and he had his arms around her, fast asleep. She was trying to figure out how to get up without disturbing his sleep when he opened his eyes too and looked into hers. A smile spread over his face, and he didn’t seem like he was in a hurry to let her go.

“Good morning,” he said. 

“Good morning.” 

“Did you sleep well?” he asked her. 

“Yes.” She looked a bit awkward for a moment. “James…you’re still holding me,” she pointed out. 

“It’s natural for a man to want to hold a beautiful woman. Does it bother you?” he asked with a confident smile. 

“Well, not exactly…” she admitted with a smile, beaming from the compliment. At that moment, the door of the dwelling opened and Kirk jumped up abruptly. A tray of food was tossed onto the table. The guard looked at the two. 

“Has the captain re-thought the offer for dilithium crystals in exchange for the woman?” Tessa turned white. 

“No,” Kirk said. The guard nodded and slammed the door, locking it behind him. 

“Are you hungry?” he asked, the pleasant morning moment having passed. 

“Starving,” she said, and they went to the table to discover some kind of unidentifiable meat and a simple-looking piece of bread. Kirk divided the food equally and they sat down and ate it silently. It was bland and dry, but it was definitely welcome. There was also a small container of water. It wasn’t much, but they each drank half of it – Kirk was glad to get any, since he knew from a previous visit to Rigel XII that water was limited on the arid planet. 

“Now, I have an idea to get us out of here – I’ll call Scotty, maybe he can locate us and beam us onto the ship—” Kirk reached for his communicator, but it was nowhere to be found. He looked around the room. “They took them. They must have taken them while we were sleeping, we left them on the table,” he discovered. 

“What do we do?” Tessa asked, suddenly a bit hopeless. Kirk put his hands on her upper arms. 

“Don’t worry, Tessa. I’ll figure out a way to get us out of here,” he promised, wrapping his arms around her to comfort away the worried look on her face.


	12. The Rigellian Dwelling

Elysse woke up with McCoy’s arms around her from behind. She lifted her head off his shoulder and he moved in his sleep, a hand sliding up to her chest before he slowly woke up.   
“Doctor McCoy, your hands seem to be roaming,” she said rather pointedly, digging her elbow a bit more into his stomach. 

“Nurse, I’m a doctor. When my hands roam, it’s in the line of duty,” he responded rather cheekily. However, he removed his hands from around her. She turned to give him a scolding look, but there was a smile behind her eyes – he certainly always had something sharp to say. She stood up and stretched, and McCoy didn’t mind watching the way certain parts of her body were enhanced as she bent over and then arched her back to stretch out her stiff spine. 

He stood and stretched himself, walking to the entrance of the cave to look out. It was still windy outside, but not nearly as bad as it had been during the magnetic sand storm. 

“I’m going to go look for something to eat. It’s still windy out there. You might want to stay here,” he suggested. 

“Okay,” she agreed. He disappeared into the wind for about half an hour. While he was gone, she tried to dust off her dress as much as she could and straighten out the mess her hair was in. He came back after a while holding a few pieces of a tough-looking fruit. 

“This is all I could find, and I had to get that cold-blooded Vulcan’s help to find something decent to eat,” he grumbled. The doctor found Spock’s ever-calm and logical demeanor annoying and frustrating. He offered a fruit to Elysse and she took it. 

“Thank you,” she said, and bit into it. It was a little tough and bitter, but she was glad to at least be eating something. They each ate two of the fruits, knowing that they could find some later. McCoy tried to reach Kirk on the communicator, but there was no answer. He reached Spock to see what progress had been made, but Spock had not been able to reach an agreement that the miners could be happy with, so they were still unable to leave the inhospitable planet. McCoy and Elysse decided that it would be best if they went out to look for a better quality shelter while the wind was at least bearable. Elysse took McCoy’s arm and they went out into the dirt, wandering around to different stone dwellings to see if any were open or if anyone would let them in. 

While they were wandering, Elysse’s arm through McCoy’s so that the wind wouldn’t blow her away, the nurse decided to break the silence. 

“I’m sorry about your divorce,” she said. 

“What do you know about it?” he glowered. 

“Nothing, I suppose. I was only engaged, we didn’t end up getting married. He cheated on me.” McCoy looked at her with an eyebrow raised, surprised at this information. 

“If I ever meet your ex-fiancé, remind me to break his cheating neck,” he told her. 

“Only if you remind me to scratch out your ex-wife’s eyes if I ever meet her, Doctor,” she returned, and he looked at her with a raised-eyebrow and a half smile. He’d never heard a woman respond that way to stories about his divorce, and it was honestly pretty sexy. 

They found a stone dwelling and tried the door, surprised to find that it opened. It looked abandoned inside – it probably once belonged to a miner who died or left. They went inside and looked around. There was a small kitchen area, a table with chairs, and a bench. There was also a smaller section through an arch in the stone inside of which was a bed.   
They settled in and examined the place. There was a small stove in the kitchen area in which they could light a fire at night to stay warm. They informed Spock of their new location using the communicator and he told them that the atmospheric readings indicated that there would be another magnetic sand storm later that evening and that if they wanted to go outside, they’d better do it now before the storm hit. McCoy disappeared for a while to gather more of the fruit they knew they could eat. He also brought a couple pots from the kitchen with him in case he found some drinkable water – they were pretty thirsty. 

He returned after a time with the smaller pot full of fruit and the larger one full of water. They drank some of the water, saving the majority of it because they didn’t know how long they’d be there, and each ate another one of the fruits. McCoy went exploring and pulled out a bottle of some kind of brandy, looking at it appreciatively. He poured them each a glass. 

“I hope we can resolve this issue with the miners and get off this god-forsaken planet soon,” an exhausted Elysse said, raising her glass. 

“I’ll drink to that,” McCoy agreed, and they both took a sip.


	13. The Engineer's Kiss

Kirk had tried every possible thing to get he and Tessa out of their prison. However, there was no way out of there, and they couldn’t call the ship to get Scotty to beam them up. Their phaser guns had also been stolen, so they couldn’t shoot the guards either. Occasionally, someone would come in and ask them if their minds were changed about trading Tessa for dilithium, and each time they refused, they were locked in again. 

The room was poorly ventilated, and that added with the dry climate of the planet made it pretty hot in the one-room stone dwelling. Soon, Captain Kirk couldn’t take the heat and pulled his yellow uniform over his head. Tessa stared at his bare chest, not at all minding the view, and he noticed her gaze. 

“I hope you don’t mind – it’s hot in here.” 

“Not at all,” Tessa said, blushing and turning away. They spent the rest of the day exploring the small room, trying to find something that might help them escape, but there wasn’t much in there. Finally, in the early evening, they just sat on the bed and talked. Kirk told her about how he had joined Starfleet and became a captain, and Tessa told him how she ended up at Starfleet and why she liked engineering. 

They talked like this for a while and then talked about how they could get out of their situation. It certainly seemed hopeless. Tessa began to tear up, worried that they’d be stuck there for who knows how long. 

“I’m sorry, James,” she said, embarrassed that she had let the stress get to her as she cried. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. She lifted her head to look at him, sniffling away her tears, and he lowered his face to give her a quick, brief kiss on the lips. It was short, but sweet and comforting. She gasped with surprise, and Captain Kirk waited, trying to gauge her reaction, prepared to apologize if she thought it was out-of-line. However, it seemed to have the opposite effect, and a moment later she grabbed the back of his head and brought his lips back down to hers for a longer, more romantic kiss. Her hand ran across his bare shoulders and back up his neck to stroke his brown hair. He broke the kiss after a few minutes, looking down at her with a smile. 

“I hope that was…okay…” Tessa said, embarrassed that she had just grabbed him and kissed him like that when he was probably just trying to be comforting. 

“That was just fine,” he told her. “Tessa, I’ve been attracted to you since the first time I saw you on my ship.” She blushed and smiled, but she had heard about Jim Kirk’s reputation – she liked him a lot, but he was known for being a bit of a ladies’ man. 

“All the same, James, I think we should stop.” 

“Why, is something wrong?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she said sassily, laying down on the bed and turning her back to him. He took a deep breath, not used to being rejected by a woman, especially right after kissing her, and laid down himself, keeping his back to her so that he wouldn’t be too tempted to take her into his arms.


	14. The Rigellian Brandy

“Why is it so damn hot in here?” McCoy demanded. The previous evening had been cold, but tonight the weather on Rigel XII was hot and stuffy. He and Elysse had each had a few glasses of brandy and were a bit tipsy. He pulled his blue uniform over his head and tossed it onto the floor, and Elysse openly admired his bare torso. “Like what you see, Nurse?” McCoy asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“I don’t dislike it…” she confessed. She noticed a clean miner’s shirt hanging on the door, presumably left behind from the previous occupant. It was a short-sleeved button-up shirt made of thin material, which she thought would be much more comfortable to sleep in than her uniform. She grabbed it off the door. 

“Turn around,” she told the doctor. “I’m going to wear this to bed.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she interrupted. “Don’t give me some snarky line about being a doctor,” she scolded, and he smirked but turned around. She pulled off her dress and black stockings, pulled on the shirt, and began buttoning it up. When she had it halfway buttoned, she noticed that McCoy was looking at her over his shoulder. “Hey!” she said, and he turned his head back again while she finished the buttoning. When she was done, he turned around and admired the outfit change. He poured them each another large glass of the brandy and they sat at the table drinking it. When they were finished, they were fairly intoxicated and decided to call it a night. 

Elysse crawled onto the bed and under the covers, laying down and enjoying the feeling of the soft mattress. McCoy sat down on the wooden bench against one wall and laid down on his bare back, presumably to be respectful to Elysse. 

“Doctor McCoy,” she cooed, slurring a bit as she laid on her side and patted the bed next to her. “You don’t have to sleep on that hard bench. There’s plenty of room here, I don’t take up much space.” 

McCoy got up off the bench and walked over to the bed, getting on and reclining on his back next to Elysse, who was positively giggly from the alcohol. McCoy turned his head toward her and gave her one of his best raised eyebrows. 

“Doctor McCoy,” she prompted again. 

“Yes, Nurse?” he asked. 

“Youuu…” she slurred, pressing a finger to his bare chest, “are a grouch.” 

“Am I? Well, you are a pain in the neck,” he countered with eyes shining partly from alcohol and partly from amusement. 

“Well, you are a doctor, not a…a…cheerful person,” she said lamely, walking her fingers over his chest. 

“Well, you are a good kisser,” he finished. This stopped her. When she didn’t respond, he raised an eyebrow again. “You don’t have anything to say to me about that?” he prompted, hoping for a similar compliment. 

“Nope,” she said, laughter in her eyes. 

“Then I suppose I’ll have to refresh your memory.” He wasted no time in grabbing her by the arms to roll her on top of him and lifting his mouth to hers. They kissed eagerly for several minutes, her hands playing in his hair while his slid up and down her sides. She finally broke the kiss and giggled. 

“Now I remember, you’re a very good kisser too,” she said. He reached his head up to kiss her again, but she rolled off of him. 

“Did it occur to you that I wasn’t finished kissing you?” he asked in his typical gruff voice, but with a hint of playfulness behind it. 

“We’re drunk,” Elysse reminded him, not wanting things to go too far while they were in this state. She didn’t even know if he wanted to kiss her when he wasn’t under the influence of something. “We should sleep,” she said, turning around and snuggling into the pillow. McCoy crankily muttered something under his breath, but scooted closer to Elysse and spooned her. 

“Goodnight, Doctor,” she mumbled, already falling asleep.


	15. The Engineer's Request

Captain Kirk awoke to find that Tessa was already awake and sitting at the table eating the food they had been brought. 

“I left you half,” she told him. 

“Thanks,” he said, sitting down and eating his share. They sat in silence for a while before Kirk spoke again. “Are we going to talk about what happened last night?”

“What is there to talk about?”

“You kissed me and then said we should stop and fell asleep.” 

“So?”

“So…Tessa, I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I like you.” She smile at him, walked over, wrapped her arms around his neck, and put her head close to his ear. 

“Prove it,” she whispered into his ear, then looked into his eyes. He slowly leaned forward to kiss her, but she leaned away and took a step back. “Find a different way to prove it,” she insisted. 

“I don’t know what you want from me,” he said, acting a bit lost. At this, she turned and looked at him, rather annoyed. 

“I want you to stop treating me like every other woman you see and actually show me that you care about me, not because I’m a woman, but because I’m Tessa Kelley.” He looked a little confused, but didn’t say anything. She turned away from him and sat on the bed. She didn’t really talk to him much for a while. 

A guard came in later that day and asked if they’d changed their mind about the proposed trade. 

“No! You’re not going to change my mind,” he shouted at him. The guard locked them back in. He sat down in a chair next to the table, trying to figure out what Tessa wanted from him.


	16. The Morning After

Elysse’s eyelids fluttered open and she realized she was lying on her back and that McCoy had his arms around her, his head on her chest. She tried to wake him up by tapping him on the shoulder. 

“Doctor McCoy,” she said quietly, not wanting to startle him. He mumbled in his sleep and held her tighter, nuzzling his face into her bosom. What was with him feeling her up in his sleep? 

“Doctor!” she said, shaking him awake. 

“What is it?” he woke with a start. 

“Oh, never mind,” she said, rolling her eyes and sitting up. He grunted and rolled over onto the pillow, promptly falling back asleep. Elysse got out of bed and looked outside. The wind wasn’t terrible, but it was still windy with sand blowing everywhere. She drank a bit of their water – the alcohol from the previous night had dehydrated her a bit. She ate one of the pieces of fruit and then went out into the wind to see if she could find some different food – the rough, bitter fruit was getting old. She brought a couple pots with her in case she needed to carry something. 

“Nurse to Spock,” she said into her communicator. 

“Spock here.” 

“Is there any progress in negotiations with the Rigellian miners?”

“Not yet, Nurse Wellington. I also have yet to discover the location of the captain, and attempts at communication with him have been unsuccessful. I would tell you and Doctor McCoy to beam aboard the ship, but without the dilithium crystals, the Enterprise has limited power and it would be illogical to use the ship’s remaining energy until an agreement is made with the miners and the group can be beamed up together. I think it would be best if you and Doctor McCoy remained in your location until further notice.” 

“Thanks, Spock. Hey, is there anything else that’s good to eat around here?” He told her about a bird that could be eaten if cooked and a vegetable similar to a potato, and where she could find them. She went off in search of them. Seeing the bird, she shot it with her phaser, gathering it up and putting it in one of the pots she was carrying. She also found some of the potato-like roots and put them in the pot with the bird. She found a small source of water and scooped some up in the other pot, thinking that water should be taken when it could be found on such a dry planet. 

She returned to the dwelling where she and McCoy are staying and found him awake and sitting at the table, munching on one of the fruits he had brought back before. 

“Where have you been?” he demanded. 

“I was getting us some different food. Do you know how to prepare a bird for cooking?” 

“I can figure it out.” With that, she tossed him the bird and found a knife in the kitchen and began cutting the potatoes. McCoy found the tools he would need in the kitchen and began working on the bird. While they were working, Elysse told McCoy about Spock’s update. When everything was ready, she cooked the meat and potatoes in a pan on the stove. They ate the food, enjoying the taste of something different and more substantial, and it was actually pretty good. They finished it off with a bit of their water. 

“I can’t remember the last time I ate a woman’s cooking,” he conceded begrudgingly. 

“I hope it wasn’t too terrible for you,” she joked. 

“Not bad at all,” he admitted.


	17. The Engineer's Plan

After this, a week passed in much the same manner. Kirk and Tessa were civil to each other every day, trying to work together to figure out a way out of this situation. They shared the bed, but didn’t touch each other – Tessa wanted him to hold her, but she also wanted him to prove that he actually cared about her and that she wasn’t just a conquest. They had also reverted to referring to each other as “Captain” and “Lieutenant,” creating a sense of awkward formality between them. 

They were eating their usual breakfast of bland meat and dry bread when all of a sudden, Tessa had an idea that hadn’t occurred to her before. 

“Neither of us can do anything if we’re both locked in here,” she said. 

“What are you saying, Lieutenant?” 

“I’m saying that you should agree to the trade.” 

“What? No, I’m not going to give you to those barbarians.” 

“Why not? I think it will work.” 

“Because, Lieutenant, I need you on my ship. You’re a talented engineer, intelligent, and brave. You’re one of the best crewmen I could ask for. Besides which…” he paused, “I can’t bear to think about what they might do to you. You’re an incredible woman who deserves respect. You’re not a commodity, you’re a human being, and you deserve to be loved and cherished, not used and traded.” 

During this rant, a smile spread across Tessa’s face and when he was finished, she laced her fingers behind his neck and raised her mouth to his. He was surprised at this, not knowing what he had done to deserve it, but recovered quickly and slipped his arms around her waist, returning the kiss sweetly, slowly, much differently than the way he had kissed her before. Before he had been kissing a beautiful woman – now he was kissing Tessa, an incredible, smart, talented, sexy woman with whom he had been trapped for ten days and had come to respect and care for. She finally broke the kiss and smiled up at him.

“That, James, is what I wanted to hear,” she confirmed. “But I have to do this to save everyone.” She pressed another kiss to his lips, stopping his mouth before he could protest. She broke the kiss again and he was about to speak when a guard came in. 

“I have agreed to your conditions,” Tessa said. “I will go with you, but only if you return the captain to his ship and give him the dilithium supply he requires. The guard nodded and she went with him. 

“No,” was all she heard Kirk say before the door closed behind her.


	18. The Doctor's Kiss

The week that passed between McCoy and Elysse reminded the doctor a bit of what it had been like being married, although with no fighting and half-hearted make-up sex. They shared the little house, dividing the tasks of gathering food and cooking; they shared the bed, they gave each other updates from Spock.   
McCoy was certainly less cantankerous with her than he’d been when they first met, although he was often his usual curmudgeonly self. Elysse was very patient with him, but managed to keep up with his sharp wit – they worked very well together. 

“Do you think we’re ever going to get out of here?” she asked one night after it had gotten dark. Their experience wasn’t terrible, but she didn’t want to be stuck there forever, and she was beginning to get stressed out. 

“If that pointy-eared Vulcan can ever figure out a way of getting those miners to give us some dilithium,” he surmised. 

She didn’t respond, just put her hands on the back of her neck and circled her head, trying to relieve some of the stress of the living conditions. 

“Are you alright, Nurse?”

“Just a bit tense is all,” she shrugged. 

“You forget that I’m a doctor, I have an extensive knowledge of human musculature, Nurse,” he said with a raised eyebrow, gesturing toward the bed. Elysse hesitated for a moment, but decided that a massage did sound nice, and went and sat down. He sat behind her, moved her hair aside, and began moving his hands expertly over her shoulders and neck, working out the knots. 

“That feels nice,” she sighed, relaxing as he rubbed the tension from her shoulders. He didn’t reply, continuing to work his talented fingers over her muscles for about ten minutes in silence. When she was thoroughly relaxed, she was suddenly startled by the feel of the doctor pressing his lips to the soft skin where shoulder becomes neck. 

“Doctor, what are you doing?” she squeaked, not really minding it, but taken by surprise. 

“I’m kissing your beautiful neck,” he informed her, kissing his way up, his thumbs still rubbing into her shoulders. 

“Why…why are you doing that?” she asked, unable to protest. 

“Nurse, do you ever think about that night we had all the brandy?” he asked into her skin. “I never got to finish kissing you.” 

“I thought you only wanted to do that when you were…uh…” she was having trouble focusing on her words while his mouth moved over her neck, “when you were under the influence of brandy…or ferns…” she finished. 

“I’m not under the influence of anything now, am I, Elysse? Unless you count your intoxicating beauty.” Good lord, the man could be good with words when he wanted to, especially the way his deep voice was settling into her skin. She had to admit that she liked the way he said her first name. 

“Well…Leonard…not that I…I don’t…” she gave up trying to say something coherent and turned around, her eyes glancing down to his mouth, giving him encouragement to put a hand on the back of her neck and kiss her deeply. Her hands slid up the blue fabric covering his chest and he moved his hands to her waist so that he could pull her closer. Her lips parted to allow his tongue entrance to explore. He lowered them back onto the bed, his lips leaving hers to kiss across her jaw and down her neck as his hands slid over her hips. He lifted his head to give her one more lingering, passionate kiss before they shifted, her settling into his chest. A few minutes later, they fell asleep.


	19. The Engineer's Bravery

Tessa was brought to the leader of the miners, the intimidating man they had met their first day there. 

“I have been told that you have agreed to be mine?” he asked her. 

“Yes, but only if the captain and his commander are returned to his ship with the dilithium crystals they need.” 

A moment later, Captain Kirk was escorted in by guards, followed by Spock. 

“Spock! My love!” Tessa shouted, running to him and throwing her arms around the Vulcan. He raised an eyebrow, confused, and Captain Kirk’s brow furrowed in confusion as well. “I must leave you,” she told him, taking his hand and bringing it to her face. “Goodbye,” she said, her voice dripping with despair. 

Captain Kirk looked utterly baffled at this, but a moment later, Spock’s eyebrows raised in understanding. 

“Goodbye,” Spock said calmly. Tessa watched as the two men were given the crystals and escorted out. 

“You are mine, now,” the miner said lecherously, grabbing Tessa by the arm and dragging her toward his dwelling. 

Kirk and Spock walked through the wind. 

“Spock, I’d appreciate it if you’d explain,” Captain Kirk said as they walked away with their crystals. 

“Lieutenant Kelley’s ruse was intended to get me to use the Vulcan mind meld on her, allowing her to communicate her plan. We are to bring the crystals to Scotty, and once the ship is at full power, beam up her, Doctor McCoy, and Nurse Wellington.” 

“Why didn’t she tell me the plan when we were locked up together?” he demanded. 

“I do not know, Captain.” 

Kirk looked a bit annoyed at all of this, but pulled out his communicator that had been returned to him. 

“Kirk to Enterprise. Mr. Scott, beam us up.” 

Meanwhile, Tessa was thrown into the miner’s dwelling and he slowly began walking toward her as she backed away. She backed herself into a wall and he was gaining on her, taking his time, thinking he had all the time in the world. He was just about to grab her when her form slowly disappeared. A moment later she was standing on the transporter of the Enterprise. 

“Just in time,” she said with a smile. I thought I was going to have to kiss that brute for a moment there.


	20. The Awkward Moment

Elysse awoke and found that she and the doctor had shifted in their sleep so that they were spooning, one of his arms around her, resting across the softest part of her chest. She turned slowly, waking him up in the process.

“Leonard, do you know that you grope me in your sleep almost every morning?” she asked, amused. 

“I can’t help it, Elysse, when my hands roam—”

“It’s in the line of duty, I know, you already used that one.” He smirked at her sass and she smiled, rolling on top of him and lowering her mouth to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back – what a great way to wake up. 

Captain Kirk cleared his throat and they broke the kiss suddenly, opening their eyes and realizing that they were out of their dwelling and on the floor of the transporter, her on top of him. They turned to see Spock, Kirk, and Tessa staring at them, all three of them with both eyebrows raised. 

“Bones, Nurse…go to the sickbay,” was all the captain said. “Spock, to the bridge. Lieutenant, come with me.” He said the last part as if he was definitely not happy. Everyone dispersed.


	21. The Engineer's Punishment

Captain Kirk led Tessa to his quarters, let her in, followed her inside, and closed the door. 

“Lieutenant, next time you have a plan while we’re on a mission, I want you to inform me immediately,” he said sternly. “Your safety was compromised because you didn’t tell me what you were planning. You’re lucky we got to you before the miner did something to you,” he shouted. 

“I’m sorry, Captain,” she said, not having expected him to react this way. 

“Next time you get an idea, you tell me right away, understand?” She nodded, looking down at her feet. “I was worried sick, Tessa,” he added. She slowly looked up at him.   
“I’m sorry,” she said again. Something in her eyes lit up and she stepped toward him. “Can I make it up to you?” 

“What did you have in mind?” he asked, starting to catch her drift. 

“I have some ideas, James,” she said, raising up on her toes to kiss him briefly. “You told me you want me to tell you when I have an idea, but would it be alright if I showed you instead?”

“I think that can be arranged,” he said, smiling down and wrapping his arms around her. 

She kissed him seductively, her hands sliding up and down the golden-yellow fabric of his captain’s uniform. He slid his hands up her sides and back down over her hips as his tongue pushed past her lips to explore. He pushed her against the door and she began sliding his uniform shirt off, him breaking the kiss just long enough for her to pull it over his head. Her hands began exploring his bare chest and he started kissing down her neck, backing her toward the bed. He pushed her down onto his bed and crawled on top of her, quickly kicking off his shoes as she removed her boots and stockings. He quickly helped her off with her dress and began kissing the top of her chest, occasionally teasing the skin with his tongue and teeth. 

“Captain,” she gasped, the title sounding very different to him when she said it in this state, “I submit myself for disciplinary action.”

“In that case, Lieutenant,” he said, sliding a hand up her bare thigh while he sucked her earlobe into his mouth, “I’m afraid I’ll have to punish you.” 

The captain then removed the rest of their clothes as he proceeded to punish her for her actions by teasing her with his hands and mouth until she begged for mercy.


	22. The Doctor's Examination

That day was a busy one for the doctor and nurse as they made sure to examine those who had beamed down to Rigel XII and make sure everyone was in good health. Everyone checked out fine, but Elysse and McCoy were both ready to retire when night fell. 

Elysse thought about going back to her room, but decided that wasn’t any fun and found herself knocking on the door to McCoy’s quarters. 

“Nurse? Can I help you?” he asked, his eyes glowing. 

“Doctor, I’m here to give you an examination,” she said, stepping into the room. He reached around her to close the door behind her. 

“I don’t understand,” he played along. She stood up on her toes and leaned in until her lips were just a breath away from his. 

“Let’s get you out of those clothes,” she whispered, then pressed her lips to his as he exhaled. They kissed passionately while she slid his blue uniform shirt up his torso, breaking the kiss long enough to remove it and toss it aside. Her mouth returned to his, her tongue slipping past his lips to explore his mouth, as she quickly got his pants off of him. Fortunately, he had already removed his shoes. She started kissing his neck while she pushed him over to the bed, then shoved him down onto it, removing her boots and stockings, and crawling on top of him. 

“Doctor, you seem to be experiencing symptoms of sexual arousal – heavy breathing, increased heart rate…not to mention the undeniable sign,” she said, looking down at his obvious excitement. She kissed across his collarbone, occasionally sucking and nibbling on the skin while she ran a hand up his thigh and over his hip, making him moan. 

“Dammit, Nurse…your hands…” he gasped. 

“I’m a nurse, Doctor. If my hands roam, it’s in the line of duty,” she murmured against his skin before her lips met his again. Her using his own words against him in this way was driving him crazy. Their tongues explored each other’s mouths hungrily while his hands ran down her back until they reached a sensitive spot on her lower spine that made her whimper into his mouth. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, grazing her teeth across it before releasing his lips. McCoy quickly worked on removing her dress, then flipped her over, hovering over her while he kissed down her neck, past her collarbone, to the top of her chest. She sighed as he placed soft kisses on her cleavage, then flipped him back over, pinning him down. 

“You seem to forget who is conducting this examination, Doctor,” she whispered into his ear, and their mouths ravished each other as they quickly discarded the remaining clothes.


	23. The Captain's Bed

Tessa awoke to find herself laying on Kirk’s bare chest while he stroked up and down her arm. She looked up at his face and he smiled at her. 

“Good morning.” 

“Good morning,” she returned, then started placing kisses up his neck, running her fingers through his hair. His excitement was immediately evident under the sheet. 

“You’re being very naughty this morning, Lieutenant,” he told her as she kissed his jaw, working her way over to his chin and up to his lips. “If you’re not good, I’ll be forced to take disciplinary action again.” 

“I can’t help it, Captain,” she said, sliding her body down his to press kisses across his chest and stomach, making him breathe heavily. “I’m guess I didn’t learn my lesson last time.” 

With that, he rolled her over and pinned her to the bed, kissing her hungrily, his tongue exploring the inside of her mouth. He kissed across her cheek and began sucking and biting on her earlobe. As soon as she had moaned, he started kissing down her neck, lower, his hands moving to her chest as he worked his mouth past her collarbone.


	24. The Doctor's Bed

When McCoy and Elysse woke up, they were spooning. He immediately started kissing her bare shoulder, his hand feeling her chest. 

“Dammit, Leonard, I’m a nurse, not a sex goddess,” she teased, knowing he loved it when she used his words to her advantage. 

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with you,” he informed her into her skin, turning her toward him and kissing her languidly, his fingers tangling in her hair. Her lips left his and began gently brushing over his neck.

“Kirk to McCoy. Bones, you’re needed in the sickbay,” Captain Kirk’s voice came through the speaker. 

“Dammit, Jim!” McCoy thundered, realizing that the task at hand would need to be completed later.


End file.
